The venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Srinagar on 7th March has been changed to Bakshi Stadium in the main city from the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in the outskirts on the banks of the Dal Lake.
The authorities had earlier chosen SKICC for the rally, but have now shifted the venue to the Bakshi Stadium that has more seating capacity.
The BJP is trying hard to make it a mega rally as it is being held days before the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections is enforced.
Moreover, this will be Modi’s first visit to the Kashmir valley after 2019 when the Article 370 was abrogated and J&K split into two Union Territories.
J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina recently visited Kashmir to activate party activists for mobilising a large number of people for the rally.
The local party leadership is trying to persuade Modi to also address a rally in Anantnag where the BJP is likely to field its own candidate for the Lok Sabha election.
Modi had addressed a rally in Jammu on 20 February when he launched projects worth Rs 32,000 crore and also flagged off the train from Srinagar to Sangaldan in the Ramban district of Jammu. The train route also opens far-off areas of Jammu division for tourists, and thus for more economic activity.